Al-Sadr denounces U.S. plan

TINA SUSMAN and CAESAR AHMADLos Angeles Times

Published Saturday, August 23, 2008

BAGHDAD -- The debate over a deal that would chart the future of U.S. troops in Iraq has reignited the rhetoric coming from Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who denounced the plan Friday for not setting a firm date for a U.S. withdrawal.

Al-Sadr's opposition to the agreement, which must be approved by Iraq's parliament, is a reminder of his potential to create headaches for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The draft would not have U.S. troops leave Iraq until 2011. It was to be circulated among Iraqi leaders and presented to parliament when lawmakers reconvene Sept. 9.

Iraq's government spokesman, Ali Dabbagh, reiterated Friday any departure of U.S. troops was "subject to Iraqi national security" and the dates are hypothetical. The final departure date "will be jointly set," he said.

At prayer services across the country, al-Sadrist preachers said any plan struck with the Americans was a blow to Iraq's sovereignty.

"Everyone is talking about how it will really serve the interests of the Americans, not the Iraqis," said Mohammed Fadim, whose grocery store overlooks where worshipers knelt in prayer. "Everyone knows the U.S. administration. If they want to make an agreement to stay, 80 percent of the terms will fulfill their interests."

Fadim and others said their main desire was to restore Iraq's sovereignty, something they said could not happen as long as U.S. forces remained on the ground.

"We want to rebuild our army, police, society. We want to help our country," said a man who gave his name as Sheik Jabbar. "They came to us as liberators, and now they are occupiers. This is ridiculous. It's been five years."

He and others complained that the fighting that engulfed Sadr City and other Shiite militia strongholds in March and April had killed mainly civilians and left their neighborhoods in ruins.

Sadr City's streets are lined with ruined buildings, their roofs and walls shattered by bullets, rockets and mortars. Iraqi army soldiers and military vehicles roam the streets.

The neighborhood of more than 2 million people has been largely peaceful since May, when Iraqi security forces replaced militiamen on the streets. While people here welcome the relative security, they do not credit U.S. forces for pushing the Iraqi security forces onto the streets.

Instead, they say the U.S. presence sparked the fighting. For some, their anger is also directed at al-Maliki for cooperating with the Americans and for relying upon U.S. forces to bolster him during the spring offensive.

"The government that came with this occupation does not represent us," said a woman who gave her name as Um Mohammed, adding that her father was detained by U.S. forces for a year before being released without charge. "We don't want any financial agreement, any political agreement, any security agreement with them. We don't want anything to do with them."

Earlier, officials from al-Sadr's office said Iraqi soldiers had shot to death an al-Sadr security guard as he walked with other men to attend dawn prayers in Sadr City. There was no confirmation from Iraqi security forces.